But, what’s your ideal leadership prototype? What are you working on becoming? Not some textbook leadership prototype, or what someone else wants you to be. Build your prototype of your leadership at it’s very best.

Design Your Leadership Prototype

Name your leader. When you’re your very best, what would you call yourself?

What does your ideal leadership self…

• Value?

• Think?

• Feel?

• Do?

What are the greatest strengths of your best possible version of you?

What are the potential downsides of your desired leadership prototype? Where will this guy get you in trouble?

Now consider your beta version. Where are you closest to your prototype today? What areas still need work? What people and situations are helping you grow toward your ideal image? What (and who) is getting in the way?

Be deliberate in your leadership prototype design. Test it across many contexts. Find the weak spots. Make them stronger. Test some more. Acknowledge flaws. Learn. Grow.

This post is part of a series on the third branch of the REAL model. If you’re not yet a subscriber, enter your email address to join the REAL conversation.